# Justin Love > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Justin_Love > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Justin_Love.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Love > Source revision: 1324124314 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{refimprove|date=July 2020}} {{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1978–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Justin Love | image = | image_size = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = 210 | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1978|11|6}} | birth_place = [San Francisco, California](/source/San_Francisco%2C_California) | death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2020|6|23|1978|11|6}} | death_place = [Mascoutah, Illinois](/source/Mascoutah%2C_Illinois) | high_school = * [Washington](/source/George_Washington_High_School_(San_Francisco))
(San Francisco, California) * [Sacred Heart Cathedral](/source/Sacred_Heart_Cathedral_High_School)
(San Francisco, California) | college = * [Cañada College](/source/Ca%C3%B1ada_College) (1996–1998) * [Saint Louis](/source/Saint_Louis_Billikens_men's_basketball) (1998–2000) | draft_year = 2000 | career_start = 2000 | career_end = 2015 | career_position = [Guard](/source/Guard_(basketball)) | years1 = 2000–2001 | team1 = [Kansas City Knights](/source/Kansas_City_Knights) | years2 = 2001 | team2 = [Gravelines](/source/BCM_Gravelines-Dunkerque) | years3 = 2002 | team3 = St. Louis SkyHawks | years4 = 2002–2004 | team4 = [Beijing Olympians](/source/Beijing_Olympians) | years5 = 2004 | team5 = St. Louis SkyHawks | years6 = 2004–2005 | team6 = [BK Ventspils](/source/BK_Ventspils) | years7 = 2005–2006 | team7 = [Ludwigsburg](/source/Riesen_Ludwigsburg) | years8 = 2006–2008 | team8 = BK Ventspils | years9 = 2008–2009 | team9 = [BC Odesa](/source/BC_Odesa) | years10 = 2009–2011 | team10 = [MBC Mykolaiv](/source/MBC_Mykolaiv) | years11 = 2011–2015 | team11 = BC Odesa | highlights = * [Latvian League](/source/Latvijas_Basketbola_l%C4%ABga) champion (2005) * [Latvian League](/source/Latvian_Basketball_League) Finals [MVP](/source/Most_valuable_player) (2005) * 2× Latvian League All-Star (2005, 2008) * [Baltic League](/source/Baltic_Basketball_League) All-Star (2007) * [Basketball Bundesliga](/source/Basketball_Bundesliga) All-Star (2006) * [Conference USA](/source/Conference_USA) Tournament MVP (2000) * First-team All-Conference USA (2000) }} '''Justin Love''' (November 6, 1978 – June 23, 2020) was an American professional [basketball](/source/basketball) player and coach. == College career == Love was born in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) and attended [Washington High School](/source/George_Washington_High_School_(San_Francisco)) and then [Sacred Heart Cathedral High School](/source/Sacred_Heart_Cathedral_High_School), where he was MVP when the school won the [West Catholic Athletic League](/source/West_Catholic_Athletic_League) Championship in 1995.{{cite news |author=Mitch Stephens |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Justin-Love-whose-talent-shined-on-courts-from-15371349.php |title=Justin Love, whose talent shined on courts from SF to Ukraine, dies at 41 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=June 28, 2020 |orig-year=June 27, 2020 |access-date=June 28, 2021 }} He played collegiately at [Cañada College](/source/Ca%C3%B1ada_College), where he was a National Junior College All-American in 1998, and [Saint Louis University](/source/Saint_Louis_University_(United_States)), where he led the team to an [NCAA Division I appearance](/source/1999%E2%80%932000_NCAA_Division_I_men's_basketball_season) and received a Conference USA First Team selection and Tournament MVP award in 2000. Love earned a bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders and a master's degree in Education at Saint Louis,{{cite news |author=Colin Feeney |url=https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/mascoutah-boys-basketball-coach-justin-love-dies-suddenly-on-campus-at-age-41-42687.cfm |title=Mascoutah Boys Basketball Coach Justin Love Dies Suddenly On Campus At Age 41 |website=Riverbender |date=June 23, 2020 |access-date=June 28, 2021 }} and was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 2009.{{Cite news |author=Darren Sabedra |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/former-sacred-heart-cathedral-basketball-standout-dies-at-41 |title=Former Sacred Heart Cathedral basketball standout dies at 41 |newspaper=The Mercury News |date=June 24, 2020|accessdate=June 25, 2020}} He was also inducted into the hall of fame at Sacred Heart Cathedral and in 2016 at Cañada College.{{cite web |url=https://canadacollege.edu/halloffame/inductees2016.php |title=Hall of Fame: 2016 Inductees |publisher=Cañada College |access-date=June 28, 2021 }} == Professional career == After graduation, Love went undrafted in the [2000 NBA draft](/source/2000_NBA_draft), making him an unrestricted free agent. After participating in the [Phoenix Suns](/source/Phoenix_Suns)' training camp, he signed a multi-year agreement with the team on August 1, 2000. On October 25, the Suns decided to waive him.{{Cite web|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Justin-Love/Summary/1302|title=Justin Love Player Profile, Saint Louis, NCAA Stats, International Stats, Game Logs, Awards |website=RealGM |accessdate=June 25, 2020}} Love went on to play for the [Kansas City Knights](/source/Kansas_City_Knights), a newly-founded team that competed in the [American Basketball Association](/source/American_Basketball_Association_(2000%E2%80%93present))'s inaugural season.{{cite web |author=Gary Bedore |url=http://www2.kusports.com/news/2000/aug/17/aba_team_eyes/ |title=ABA team eyes ex-Jayhawks |website=KU Sports |date=August 17, 2000 |access-date=June 29, 2021 }} In February 2001, he accepted [BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque](/source/BCM_Gravelines-Dunkerque)'s offer to play in the [LNB Pro A](/source/LNB_Pro_A) league, but was released a month later due to difficulties adapting to European basketball.{{cn|date=June 2021}} He returned to St. Louis, briefly starring in the local St. Louis SkyHawks of the [USBL](/source/United_States_Basketball_League) before moving to China. In 2002, Love signed with [Beijing Olympians](/source/Beijing_Olympians) and played two seasons in the [Chinese Basketball Association](/source/Chinese_Basketball_Association) (CBA), locking in an Asia-Basket All-CBA Imports 2nd Team selection in 2004.{{cn|date=June 2021}} After briefly returning to the St. Louis SkyHawks, he moved to Latvia, signing with [BK Ventspils](/source/BK_Ventspils). Over the next four seasons, he carved out a solid leadership role within his teams, consistently posting double digit scoring averages and maintaining a high three-point shooting percentage (40%). Despite his 1.88m (6ft 2in) stature, his remarkable rebounding skills yielded nearly a rebound every seven minutes of playing time in the [ULEB Cup](/source/ULEB_Cup). He was Latvian League Player of the Year in the 2004–05 season. He spent the last six years of his professional career in Ukraine, signing with [MBC Mykolaiv](/source/MBC_Mykolaiv) for two seasons in 2009 and then with [BC Odesa](/source/BC_Odesa) for another four seasons. He continued to show impressive consistency, even with age, averaging double figures in scoring, solid outside shooting percentages and rebounding averages until his last season (2014-15). He was all-time leading scorer in the {{ill|Ukrainian basketball Super League|lt=Ukrainian Superleague|uk|АБКУ «Суперліга»}}. == Coaching career == After retiring as a player, Love became an assistant coach at [Belleville High School-West](/source/Belleville_High_School-West) in Illinois, and in 2017 boys' basketball head coach at [Mascoutah High School](/source/Mascoutah_High_School). In his three years with the Indians, he coached the team to a 55-42 record, winning the IHSA Class 3A regional championship in 2019, and was subsequently named the Illinois Basketball Association's boys Coach of the Year. == Personal life and death == Love married Katy Walter in 2006; they had three children.{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldpubs.com/2020/06/28/justin-charles-love/ |title=Justin Charles Love |newspaper=The Herald |location=Mascoutah, Illinois |date=June 28, 2020 }} On June 23, 2020, Love was found unresponsive on the grounds of Mascoutah High School. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [https://slubillikens.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/justin-love/60 Saint Louis Billikens college bio] {{DEFAULTSORT:Love, Justin}} Category:1978 births Category:2020 deaths Category:American expatriate basketball people in China Category:American expatriate basketball people in France Category:American expatriate basketball people in Germany Category:American expatriate basketball people in Latvia Category:American expatriate basketball people in Ukraine Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball coaches from California Category:Basketball players from San Francisco Category:BC Odesa players Category:BCM Gravelines players Category:BK Ventspils players Category:High school basketball coaches in Illinois Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Category:MBC Mykolaiv players Category:Riesen Ludwigsburg players Category:Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball players Category:Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory alumni Category:Beijing Olympians players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Justin Love](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Love) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Love?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.